A cache is a vital module in any large system. The system has a cache module or infrastructure that can be configured. The cache is divided into multiple areas and each area represents a cost to the owner of maintaining the cache, and the cache is managed by the system to aid the functional operations of applications or other software.
One example of cache management is that virtually everything is cached. This improves performance response times, but because the cache needs to be large enough to hold all that information, the cost of ownership increases with this approach.
Another example of cache management is that virtually nothing (or only a small fraction of information) is cached. This can help minimize the memory footprint of the system, but the system response time deteriorates because essentially every operation requires a call to the database.
Sometimes a customer configuration is arranged by first simulating a load test on the system, analyzing the results and deciding the optimal configuration. However, the configuration thus chosen may be less optimal for use in other scenarios. Also, the configuration may be less optimal when used by other customers in the same scenario, or even when used by the same customer at a different time.